The Story Continues
by justanon
Summary: A rewrite of a discontinued story from 10 years ago. The boys' past comes back to change their life permanently. A bit of Splinter's past changes their course for all time.


**Hello everyone. This is my first attempt at a fic in about 10 years. In all honesty, it's a re write of an incomplete story. Some things that may make this story make a bit more sense. First, I kept the time line the same. Meaning, this fic begins in the year 2000. I felt the need to keep it this way because it is based off of the Archie series. (If you're not familiar with the Archie series, please allow me to highly recommend it.) The archie series folded in 1996, and this is a look at what is happening four years later. Enjoy.**

**I don't own the guys or any characters in this chapter.  
**

_From the Journal of Hamato Raphael._

_March 15, 2000._

_I went out tonight. No surprise. I've become a people watcher. I can rant on about how I miss the old days, but I've written that all before. It just takes so much energy to stay here, underground. Back when we had a purpose, back when we were kids, it wasn't such a weird idea. Everything else was foreign. But we saw too much. Glimpses of freedom. We saw the real world. Even after we came home, we kept ourselves busy. We beat down the enemies. Too bad we didn't ever think of what would happen when we won. When there were no more villains, no more monsters. Sure, we still got the purse snatchers, the rapists, even the murderers. It is New York City! But I miss the things the cops can't handle. Screw it. Enough writing for tonight. _

4:00AM

Leonardo wished that the tunnels under New York City were as organized as the grid above. He was trying to reach mid town Manhattan in 15 minutes. It would be nearly impossible from the streets. In the tunnels, with their haphazard directions, it was truly an impossibility. He was going to be late again!

These were the times when Leonardo wished that he could run openly in the street without causing a spectacle of himself and becoming the center of attention, but for him that was impossible. Even at 4:00 AM the lights that illuminated the city made it difficult for Leonardo, who tried to be invisible to the morning "crowd". But being at Chu

Hsi's midtown apartment on 42nd was still pretty far away and he had to get to work. Literally. If his brothers knew about this, he would never know the end of it. Or Splinter. Leonardo wasn't keen on discovering what his Sensei's opinion would be on his recent expeditions.

So when Chu said he was opening a restaurant, and asked if he could have some early morning help in the back kitchen, Leonardo agreed. It was a chance for him to feel as if he was helping to support his "family". April had done much more than she should have had to, as had many of their human friends. They did have a little stash of cash hidden away in a bank account under April's name. Don had managed to pawn some destroyed "trash". Also, it was surprising how much cash actually would escape its owners grips, only to be washed away in a grate. Of course, Mikey fed them all through his vigilant search for aluminum cans.

After a dirt-bag talk show host had pushed them into the main stream of the Saturday Evening News for almost six months with the "Are there really Mutant turtles, or was that a publicity stunt to get ratings?" situation, there were all sorts of letters with five dollars here or ten there for "those nice turtles that Miss O'neal knows". At least April managed to pull off a stunt that proved their real nature, not the brutal one that the host was trying to push for ratings.*

Sadly, the exposure was not a permanent one. Exocentric people from around the world sought to find them. It became harder to hide in the city. The boys had even fewer freedoms then before their television encounter. Even the sewers may have some desperate soul seeking to catch a photograph of the legends of New York. And so, the adventures became less and less. Isolation and even greater caution became the norm.

Leo walked into the alley fifteen minutes late and climbed the fire escape. Chu was making breakfast for himself in his kitchen of the small flat. Once a firefighter, he had to retire because of having a beam fall on him a few years back. Which was rather ironic; he had another form, one which left him almost invincible.* Now using his cooking skills that he learned from his family's restaurant when he was a child and the money he had been saving, Chu was able to open a restaurant on the ground floor of the flat, which turned out to be great business. Needing help before the store actually opened for the day, Chu decided to ask his friends that would prefer not to be seen by the public for help. And thus, Leonardo had a job.

Chu laughed. "You're late."

"Yeah, slept in…..I'll be out of your shower in five minutes."

That was one of the perks that Leonardo truly enjoyed: A nice hot shower every morning without having to fight the others for the

bathroom. It was one of Chu's Rules. If ones morning commute involved running throughout the sewers of New York, one must shower before entering the restaurant.

After stepping out of the shower, Chu and Leonardo headed down to the main floor restaurant.

____________________________________________________________

4:15 AM About 20 blocks south…

"When?" It was a simple question. One that Mike thought he deserved an answer to.

"Late August, when all the other kids head back to school. A bit of normalcy." She giggled nervously to herself at the concept.

"Oh, sorry that I did no know that, sometimes I actually forget that I am not normal." With the last comment, his eyes gazed back over the skyline, avoiding hers.

Oyuki Mamisha chewed nervously on the side of her mouth. This is not the way she wanted this conversation to go, and she had to gather her thoughts before continuing. "You know that's not what I meant. I mean, I've been in this country for five years. Sometimes I still feel like an outsider. I was talking about myself, Mike not you."

She took a moment to gather her thoughts. He was watching her from his perch on the roof, and she was grateful for the renewed care in his eyed. Taking a deep breath, she continued:

"And Boston isn't that far. I need the chance to go to school. I can't be April's Camera Girl forever, no matter how much fun we manage to get

into." Oyuki Mamisha walked over to Mike and put her hand on his shoulder, trying to figure out his thoughts.

"Yeah, O, I know that it's just that we've been so…" Michelangelo stumbled for the words. "so… I don't know…so close…lately. You know what I mean?"

She lit her cigarette. Bad habit, yeah she knew, but it was so very addicting. That wasn't the worst part. Last year she got him smoking with her.

"Can I get a hit?"

"Sure…"

"So what are we going to do?" Mike turned to her, fearing that he would lose a person closer to him than he would like to admit.

"Well I told you about this, because I have favor to ask of you" Oyuki stared at the lit cigarette, seemingly mesmerized by the bright fire at the end.

When Mike turned to her with a confused expression, she found the strength to continue. "This place is outside of the actual city. I can rent in the country, or close to it. I know you are getting sick of the city Mike, so why don't you come with me?"

"To Boston??!!"

"Yeah Boston."

"Humph. I don't know let me think about it. I'm going to bed it must be almost four." And with that Michelangelo escaped the confusing conversation.

____________________________________________________________

7:00AM

Raph got up just as Leo got in. "Where have you been?"

Leonardo failed at making eye contact with his brother. "Morning Run."

"Yeah, sure." Raphael did not sound very convinced, and Leonardo decided to change the subject.

"Where's Mikey?"

"Spent the night at April and O's." Raphael almost seemed to have a joking tone in his voice.

"Oh…So I guess he won't be back in time for practice." Leonardo was going to keep up his pseudo-conversation until his own absence was forgotten.

"No, he probably stayed up half the night." Raphael shook his head with a grin.

Leo snorted a laugh. "Yeah, probably."

Don walked in, obviously fresh out of bed. Not bothering with any morning conversation, he went straight for his coffee pot.

Leonardo took the opportune distraction as an excuse to make a beeline for the dojo.

7:30

Splinter watched his sons practice. He felt pride. He also felt remorse for the vigilant life that was necessary for their survival. His mind drifted temporarily to a few actions that Splinter had secretly carried out recently. He wouldn't allow himself to become preoccupied with unknowns that may never have an answer. Clearing the thoughts from his head, he focused again on his children. There was no sense worrying about an unknown future.

*These things happened in the Archie Comic :) -kb


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